Food and drug retailers may need to modify their approaches to get the most from their general merchandise outside of the big fourth-quarter holidays, according to a new whitepaper from the Global Marketing Development Center. The report is the second part of GMDC’s “Seasonal Best Practices for the New World of Shopping” series.

On average, consumers say 64% of their back-to-school shopping will take place in-store, with the rest online via computer or mobile device. A new survey of 1,001 U.S. parents with school-age children from customer experience solutions provider Baynote and the E-tailing Group also shows that 40% of consumers say that paper catalogs influence their in-store purchases, more than any other channel.

Families this summer will spend slightly more on back-to-school items than they did in 2013. According to NRF’s 2014 Back-to-School Survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics, the average family with children in grades K-12 will spend $669.28 on apparel, shoes, supplies and electronics, up 5% from $634.78 in 2013.

Shrinkage levels average 1.27% of sales, which translates to a $57 billion loss to the industry, according to the U.S. Retail Fraud Survey, which is based on research into the systems and strategies used by 100 leading North American retailers.

Less than a year after Meijer opened a supercenter at the historical Michigan State Fairgrounds on 8 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue, the retailer continued its investment in the city of Detroit on Monday with a formal groundbreaking ceremony for a second supercenter to be located at the site of the former Redford High School on the city's west side.

The drug channel could be losing its edge in seasonal sales. GMDC’s recently released “Seasonal Best Practices” report revealed that, according to Nielsen data for the 52 weeks ended Oct. 26, 2013, while drug store seasonal merchandise dollar sales are slightly ahead of supermarkets, the channel’s sales have slipped 16%.

Looking to deliver “an honest view” of the retail environment, Kline & Co. has created a new research tool dubbed Shop Scout: A Mobile View of U.S. Beauty Shopper Behavior, which will be published monthly beginning fourth quarter 2014.

The Food Marketing Institute on Wednesday released its annual analysis of U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends, presented by FMI president and CEO Leslie Sarasin at FMI Connect, which reveals dramatic changes in the consumer universe that have impacted the way food retailers do business.

Retail Solutions, a provider of cloud-based, big data analytics and real-time intelligence for the consumer products industry, has selected Gigwalk, the local visibility software platform, to power its new RSi Intelligent Crowdsourcing solution.

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SPECIAL REPORTS

Pharmacy’s battle for recognition continues

Fifty years ago this summer, President Lyndon B. Johnson secured his place in history by signing into law the legislation that created Medicare and Medicaid. To commemorate the anniversary, Drug Store News has put together an exclusive report on the effect that Medicare and Medicaid have had on the retail pharmacy industry and how it has transformed the role of the pharmacist. more...

IN THIS ISSUE

In this issue, DSN profiles Rite Aid and how the company is achieving a vision to become a retail healthcare company that delivers a higher level of care to its communities; takes you on a tour of Sears; offers insight into millennial shoppers and more. Click here to view the issue.